4. It's The Thinking Man's Shooter
The first person shooter has received an unsavory reputation from the media, and is often accused of celebrating violence and directly inspiring real life killing sprees such as the tragic Columbine shootings in 1999. Indeed, ever since the genre was born with the controversial games Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, the first person shooter has become known for reveling in death and destruction. If you ever want to show someone why the genre can actually be something more than just blood and guts or jingoistic military mayhem, simply point them in the direction of Half Life 2, or any of Valves contributions to the well worn genre. In Half Life 2 youll certainly get to scratch that itchy trigger finger, but youll also solve complex puzzles, form bonds with genuinely likable characters and be part of a wonderfully expansive narrative. Whats more, Half Life 2 and its two subsequent episodes have something you rarely see in any video game heart.